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| Subspecies: | Unknown |
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| Est. World Population: | |
| CITES Status: | NOT LISTED |
| IUCN Status: | Least Concern |
| U.S. ESA Status: | NOT LISTED |
| Body Length: | |
| Tail Length: | |
| Shoulder Height: | |
| Weight: | |
| Top Speed: | |
| Jumping Ability: | (Horizontal) |
| Life Span: | in the Wild |
| Life Span: | in Captivity |
| Sexual Maturity: | (Females) |
| Sexual Maturity: | (Males) |
| Litter Size: | |
| Gestation Period: | |
Habitat:
The Great Flying Fox is highly gregarious and roosts of hundreds to several thousand individuals have been observed in tree crowns (Bonaccorso 1998), and may sometimes co-roost with the Black Flying Fox (Pteropus alecto) in the Transfly (Breed et al. 2010). It forages in a range of tropical forest habitats including primary and secondary lowland rainforest, hill and lower montane rainforest, drier monsoon forest, swamp forests, mangroves and also forages in rural gardens and other areas with fruiting and flowering food trees (Bonaccorso 1998; Flannery 1995a,b). The species is often seen flying and feeding on inflorescences in the day-time, although activity peaks after dark (Bonaccorso 1998, T. Leary pers. obs.).
Movements of two Greater Flying Foxes satellite tracked in the Transfly were confined to mangrove islands, and savanna and riparian habitats respectively (Breed et al. 2010). Whilst the two bats travelled large distances (255 and 960 km), the maximum radial distance from the release site was only 31 and 73 km, although this may have reflected local food availability at the time (Breed et al. 2010).
Little else is known about the ecology of the species, but females likely give birth to a single young, and seasonality of births may vary across the species range (Bonaccorso 1998).
Movements of two Greater Flying Foxes satellite tracked in the Transfly were confined to mangrove islands, and savanna and riparian habitats respectively (Breed et al. 2010). Whilst the two bats travelled large distances (255 and 960 km), the maximum radial distance from the release site was only 31 and 73 km, although this may have reflected local food availability at the time (Breed et al. 2010).
Little else is known about the ecology of the species, but females likely give birth to a single young, and seasonality of births may vary across the species range (Bonaccorso 1998).
Range:
The Great Flying Fox occurs on the island of New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea), the Bismarck Archipelago (Papua New Guinea), and the Raja Ampat islands (Indonesia) (Flannery 1995a,b; Bonaccorso 1998). There is reportedly one record from Thursday Island in Australia (L. Hall pers. comm., Neeves et al. 2018). It ranges from sea level to 1,400 m asl.
Conservation:
This species occurs in some protected areas, although the level of protection afforded to the species in these areas is likely limited (e.g. see Shearman and Bryan 2011). It is listed on Appendix II of CITES. An assessment of hunting pressure is needed, as is a review of reported population declines on parts of the Gazelle Peninsula, East New Britain (Papua New Guinea) (Bonaccorso 1998).